ryan22

Is 2 3/4 the correct white wall width for 1958 ?

Spoke with diamondback and they thought 2.5 is correct.

Also, I did some reading in the CF and many recommend 215/70 for their handling. Diamondback recommends 205/75 for a 1958 partly because the tread width is closer to the original 6.70 x 15 tire (they said 205's are 5.3", originals were about 4.7")
They said 215's have a 6.8" treadwidth. They said the narrower tread width of the 205 will help with maneuvering at low speed.

Is there much difference in handling between a 215 vs a 205 tire, both at slow speed, for example when parking and also when havin fun taking corners faster than ya should ? I'm trying to decide which to get.

thanks-
Ryan22

SunsetC6

6.70 x 15 was the standard tire. Original tires were either U.S. Royal, B.F. Goodrich Silvertown or Firestone Deluxe Champion. Whitewalls varied by manufacturer from 2 to 2 1/2". We have radials that are 205's. Now we don't run the car on the road that much but it looks close to original other than the tread pattern. I'm sure the handling difference is not very different between the 205 and the 215. The bias plys are an exact match for NCRS except they are 1/2" wider tire than the original non DOT tires were.

Oz's 59

I've posted this before...I have been running 215/70R15" Firestone Indy 500 Firehawks (w/2.5"ww) from Diamond Back for 8-years now on my '59... I like them so much I just received another set to be installed this week. *Please remember; for most of us these aren’t “daily drivers” so we won’t wear out our tires, but age plays a big role in tire life so 8-10 years MAX before updating (even if they still “LOOK” new). Also the preferred method of balancing is with a "lug-centric" centering system (rim bolt holes) & not the usual center-hole & cone centering system